My dog Hazel is vegan. Most likely, your eyes just rolled or your heart stopped beating. You probably understand and respect my choice to be vegan but really, do I have to drag my dog into this? Well, here’s the thing: Dogs, unlike cats, are not obligate carnivores. They’re not dependent on meat-specific protein, and can easily digest the majority of vegetables and grains. That, combined with the fact that I don’t support horrific factory farming, means feeding my dog a veggie diet is the only way to go. Plus, did you know that Bramble, a 27-year-old vegan Border Collie, was in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest living dog? Veggie Power!

Brief tangent: A 27-year-old Border Collie is probably like, the smartest dog ever. I mean, Border Collies are already ridiculously intelligent, and then combined with the knowledge of the ages? Bramble is basically Doggie Yoda.

There are lots of vegan dog foods on the market. Regardless of the brand you choose, look for taurine and l-carnitine in the list of ingredients; these amino acids are crucial for keeping your dog’s heart healthy and strong. If you’re super industrious or have lots of free time courtesy of this fantastic job market, you might want to make your own food. I did this a few times last year and my kitchen still hasn’t fully recovered.

That said, I have faith in you. There are lots of recipes online, and my personal favorite is available via Asians for Humans, Animals, and Nature (warning, it’s a PDF). If you’re going this route, I highly recommend adding a vitamin- and mineral-rich supplement, such as VegePet.

As for Hazel, she eats V-Dog. She absolutely loves it. Seriously, you’ve never seen a dog go this nuts for dinner. That might be just because she loves food; our walks are often spent playing tug-of-war with some delicacy she found in a gutter. But really, she devours her bowl in 10 seconds flat, and then begs for more. Hazel’s been vegan for about three years and her vet consistently remarks on her good health. Her coat is shiny, her weight is perfect, and her breath isn’t super stinky. I mean, it’s still kind-of stinky, she IS a dog.

Guest blogger Laura Beck is a founding editor of Vegansaurus.com, community manager at VegWeb.com, columnist for VegNews Magazine, and vice president of Rocket Dog Rescue. She lives in Oakland with her cartoonist boyfriend and adorable Pit Bull. Vegansaurus.com